The present invention relates to a disc driving apparatus, and more particularly to a disc driving apparatus in which a disc such as an optical disc is carried in and out between a disc clamping position and a disc loading/unloading position.
FIGS. 8 and 9 schematically show the basic configuration of a disc driving apparatus in which the usage object is a disc-like recording medium (disc) such as a CD, a DVD, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, or a CD-RW. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a disc tray 1.
As shown in FIG. 10, the disc tray 1 is configured by a synthetic resin molded article which is formed into a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. A disc mounting area 13 is formed into a circular shape in a front part of a bottom plate portion 12 of the disc tray, and an opening 14 is formed over a range extending from the disc mounting area 13 to a rear portion.
In the disc driving apparatus, the disc tray 1 can be horizontally moved between a disc loading/unloading position which is not shown, and a disc clamping position which is shown in FIG. 9. After the disc tray 1 is advanced to the disc clamping position shown in FIG. 9, a disc D mounted on the disc mounting area 13 of the disc tray 1 is clamped by a clamp mechanism 5.
The illustrated clamp mechanism 5 includes an arm 52 which is vertically swung about a fulcrum 51 in a fixed position, and below the disc tray 1 which is advanced to the disc clamping position as indicated by the arrow F in FIG. 9. A turntable 54 is attached to the rotation shaft of a motor 53 which is mounted on the arm 52. A damper 55 is placed above the disc tray 1 which is advanced to the disc clamping position, so as to be opposed to the turntable 54. The damper 55 is liftably held on a holding member 56.
In the clamp mechanism 5, after the disc D mounted on the disc mounting area 13 of the disc tray 1 is carried in to the disc clamping position, the arm 52 is upward swung as indicated by the arrow a in FIG. 9, whereby the turn table 54 is caused to enter the opening 14 of the disc tray 1 to raise the disc D from the disc mounting area 13 of the disc tray 1. The raised disc D pushes up the clamper 55 so that the clamper is slightly raised from the holding member 56. Under this state, the disc D is clampingly held between the turntable 54 and the damper 55 by the attractive force due to a magnet disposed in the turntable 54 or the damper 55.
In such a disc driving apparatus, the vertical swinging amplitude of the arm 52 of the clamp mechanism 5 is limited in order to reduce the thickness of the whole shape of the apparatus. The disc tray 1 is moved between the disc loading/unloading position and the disc clamping position while the end portions in the width direction of the disc tray are guided. Therefore, a center portion in the width direction of the disc tray 1 may be caused by its own weight to warp into a downward protruded shape. When the disc tray 1 is formed by a molded article of an economical synthetic resin of general purpose grade, particularly, the possibility that such warpage occurs is raised. In the case where warpage such as described above occurs in the disc tray 1, depending on the degree of the warpage, the deformed portion which is downward protruded interferes with the turn table 54 or another mechanical component when the disc tray is advanced to the disc clamping position or retracted therefrom, whereby the stability of the disc loading operation or the disc unloading operation is impaired or such an operation is not smoothly conducted.
The Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 10-275390 discloses a disc driving apparatus having a structure which is similar to that of the disc driving apparatus described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. In the disclosed apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8, a guide face which is upward inclined as forward moving is formed on the side of the disc tray 1 in order to prevent the disc tray 1 from interfering with the damper 55 to cause a malfunction when the disc tray 1 is retracted from the disc clamping position to the disc loading/unloading position as indicated by the arrow R. When the disc tray 1 is retracted as indicated by the arrow R, the retracting operation is conducted while the guide face slides over the damper 55 to push up the damper 55.
The technique disclosed in the publication is merely a technique which prevents a maloperation due to interference between the disc tray 1 and the damper 55 placed above the disc tray from occurring. Therefore, the technique cannot be applied to a configuration for preventing a maloperation due to interference between the disc tray 1 and the turn table 54 or another mechanical component placed below the disc tray, from occurring. Such interference is caused by downward projecting warping of the disc tray 1 such as that described above.
The invention is conducted under the above-described circumstances. It is an object of the invention to provide a disc driving apparatus in which a disc tray that is advanced to a disc clamping position is prevented from warping to be downward projected, whereby the stabilities of the disc loading operation and the disc unloading operation are enhanced.
It is another object of the invention to provide a disc driving apparatus in which a warping disc tray can be surely prevented from interfering in a disc clamping position with a turn table or another mechanical component placed below the disc tray.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a disc driving apparatus in which the stabilities of the disc loading operation and the disc unloading operation are excellent even when a disc tray is formed by a synthetic resin molded article and an economical synthetic resin of general purpose grade is used.
The disc driving apparatus of the invention includes: a disc tray which is movable between a disc clamping position and a disc loading/unloading position; and a clamp mechanism which clamps a disc that is mounted on the disc tray and carried in to the disc clamping position. The apparatus has disc supporting member for supporting the disc tray which is advanced to the disc clamping position, from a lower side of the disc tray, thereby preventing the disc tray from downward warping.
In the disc driving apparatus, the disc tray which is advanced to the disc clamping position is supported from the lower side to be prevented from downward warping, by the function of the disc supporting member. Therefore, there is no possibility that the disc tray downward warps to interfere with a mechanical component placed below the disc tray, such as a turn table. As a result, the disc loading operation and the disc unloading operation are stabilized, and the reliabilities of the operations are improved.
Preferably, the disc supporting member may have: a butting portion which is downward projected from the disc tray; and a receiving portion which is disposed on a stationary member, which is relatively slidable with respect to the butting portion, and which receives the butting portion. In this case, the butting portion can be formed into a rib-like shape which longitudinally elongates, and the receiving portion can be formed integrally with a chassis serving as the stationary member. When such a configuration is employed, it is not necessary to use the butting portion or the receiving portion which is formed as a separate component, and hence the reliabilities of the disc loading operation and the disc unloading operation can be enhanced without increasing the number of components. Therefore, it is possible to economically provide a disc driving apparatus having an excellent operation reliability.
In the embodiment, it is possible to employ a configuration in which the disc supporting member has: a butting portion which is formed by a lower face of the disc tray; and a receiving portion which is upward projected from the stationary member, which is relatively slidable with respect to the butting portion, and which receives the butting portion. In this case, the receiving portion can be formed on a chassis serving as the stationary member and into a rib-like shape which longitudinally elongates. According to the configuration also, it is not necessary to use the butting portion or the receiving portion which is formed as a separate component, and hence the reliabilities of the disc loading operation and the disc unloading operation can be enhanced without increasing the number of components. Therefore, it is possible to economically provide a disc driving apparatus having an excellent operation reliability.
Preferably, the disc tray may have an opening which is used in the clamping operation of the clamp mechanism, in a bottom plate portion having a disc mounting area, and the butting portion may be disposed in a part on a front side of the opening. The disc tray warps to interfere with a mechanical component below the disc tray, only when the part of the disc tray on the front side of the opening warps. When the butting portion is disposed only on the part on the front side of the opening, therefore, the above-mentioned operation reliability can be ensured.
In the invention, the clamp mechanism may include an arm which is upward swung during a disc clamping operation, and the disc supporting member may be disposed on the arm. In this case, preferably, the disc supporting member may be configured by a support member which is disposed on the arm, and which supports the disc tray from a lower side of the disc tray when the disc clamping operation of the clamp mechanism is ended, thereby preventing the disc tray from downward warping. According to the configuration, it is not required to take a special countermeasure on the disc tray, the chassis serving as the stationary member, or the like.
In the invention, the following three modes may be employed.
One of the modes is a disc driving apparatus including: a disc tray which is movable between a disc clamping position and a disc loading/unloading position; and a clamp mechanism which clamps a disc that is mounted on the disc tray and carried in to the disc clamping position, wherein an opening which is used in the clamping operation of the clamp mechanism is formed in a bottom plate portion of the disc tray, the bottom plate portion having a disc mounting area, a rib-like butting portion in which a front end is formed as an inclined guide face, and which longitudinally elongates is downward projected from a part on a front side of the opening, a flat receiving portion is disposed on a chassis serving as a stationary member, the receiving portion supporting from a lower side the butting portion of the disc tray which is advanced to the disc clamping position, thereby preventing the disc tray from downward warping, and the butting portion and the receiving portion are relatively slidable with respect to each other.
Another one of the modes is a disc driving apparatus including: a disc tray which is movable between a disc clamping position and a disc loading/unloading position; and a clamp mechanism which clamps a disc that is mounted on the disc tray and carried in to the disc clamping position, wherein an opening which is used in the clamping operation of the clamp mechanism is formed in a bottom plate portion of the disc tray, the bottom plate portion having a disc mounting area, a flat lower face on a front side of the opening is formed as a butting portion, a rib-like receiving portion which longitudinally elongates is disposed on a chassis serving as a stationary member, the receiving portion supporting from a lower side the butting portion of the disc tray which is advanced to the disc clamping position, thereby preventing the disc tray from downward warping, a rear end of the receiving portion is formed as an inclined guide face, and the butting portion and the receiving portion are relatively slidable with respect to each other.
A further one of the modes is a disc driving apparatus including: a disc tray which is movable between a disc clamping position and a disc loading/unloading position; and a clamp mechanism which clamps a disc that is mounted on the disc tray and carried in to the disc clamping position, wherein the clamp mechanism includes an arm which is upward swung during a disc clamping operation, and an upward projection is disposed on the arm, the projection supporting the disc tray from a lower side of the disc tray when the disc clamping operation of the clamp mechanism is ended, thereby preventing the disc tray from downward warping.